Journey
by IWasMissAusten
Summary: A young girl is the victim of a gruesome crime but survives -- what affect will she have on the members of the BAU, most specifically one Emily Prentiss? Eventual Hotch/Prentiss romance. Much better than it sounds! Will be a multi-chap.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi guys, this is my first ever Criminal Minds fic, so please be gentle! But, do please review and tell me if you like it -- feel free to give constructive criticism, too. This chapter is really an introduction, but if you all like it I'll have more chapters up soon.

Oh, and obviously I do not own any of these characters!

* * *

"Guys? Conference Room, five minutes." SSA Aaron Hotchner poked his head out of the office he had retained even after handing his job over to Derek Morgan. His fellow team members looked up from their desks, and sighed – they all knew that the quiet that had permeated the office since the morning would come to an end.

The team members filed into their conference room, Morgan teasing Reid about a girl they had met at lunch, but things turned serious as soon as they saw JJ pacing in front of the bulletin board, waiting to begin the briefing. Once they were all settled, the blonde took a deep breath and began.

"Virginia Beach. In the past three months, three different couples have been murdered at home, their young teenage daughters – the only children in the houses – taken. The girls are abducted, raped, and then dumped on various beaches within the city. Jim and Patty Flanders were the third victims, killed last night. Their foster daughter is missing and presumed dead, but hasn't been found dumped yet. No DNA has been left, but the Unsub does leave, erm, drawings on each of the girls." Pictures flashed on the monitor behind JJ, and each member of the team steeled themselves for the images. The girls had in fact been drawn on – tiny hearts on their stomachs, done in blood.

"Well that's different," Reid stated. "It could be a sign of remorse and love, or it could be simple irony, a taunting of sorts," he mused.

"He definitely has a type," Rossi remarked. "Brown hair, brown eyes, and cute."

"Any links between the girls? Or the parents?" Emily Prentiss asked, flipping through the case file she had been given, her mind speeding up.

"Garcia's looking now," JJ answered, and Hotch nodded.

"Alright, guys. Looks like we're going to Virginia Beach."

"I'm Detective Finley, you must be the BAU," the police officer greeted the team as they stepped into the Virginia Beach police department, ready to start working. JJ stepped forward.

"Yes sir, Jennifer Jareau, we spoke on the phone. These are agents Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss, Hotchner, and Dr. Reid." The team exchanged pleasantries with the officers, and then set to business. Reid began spreading maps out and placing crime locations on them, and Rossi and Morgan were sent to the Flanders house to look for clues and anything that might be of interest. Prentiss and Hotchner remained behind with Reid, examining the reports of the two prior murders and abductions.

"It looked like all these crimes happened right after dinnertime," Prentiss mused aloud. "Everyone's home then. All six parents worked full time, and it was reported that each girl was by herself for a period of time after school before her parents got home. Why not just go for the girl then? Why wait until they'll have to get through the parents, too?"

"Maybe the girl is not his primary target," Hotchner answered. "Or maybe it's not the only thing he's after. Maybe the murder of the parents is equally as important as the kidnapping and assault of the girls. God, Prentiss – these victims all look exactly like you," he exclaimed, holding up the pictures of the young girls.

"Except about twenty years younger," she reminded him. "They're so young, Hotch. Fourteen year olds should be going to the mall with their girlfriends, giving flirty eyes to boys. Not getting raped and murdered and thrown out like trash," she stated bitterly.

"You okay?" Hotch asked, and though his eyes never left the paper he was reading, his voice was tinged with concern. Emily nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Child cases are just always more draining," she answered, and Hotch nodded in agreement.

"I know, it's hard not to see Jack's face on every one of them."

"How's Jack doing these days?" Emily asked, knowing how hard the past few months had been on her former boss and his son. They had all tried to be there for Hotch and Jack – stopping by for visits, inviting the duo out for movies and picnics and dinners. The activities and company helped Jack, and Aaron too, to get their minds off of the devastation of losing Haley, to start moving forward again. Jack was just enamored with his father's coworkers, and the feeling was mutual. Even Reid grew comfortable with the boy, always entertaining him with new magic tricks. When Jessica couldn't watch Jack, Hotch would bring him into the office, and it wasn't unusual to find his son roughhousing with Morgan, drawing with Garcia, or being told stories by Prentiss. Hotch was truly grateful for his team, and knew he couldn't have gotten through the past few months without them.

"He's doing well, I think. It's still hard a lot of the time, but we're getting by," Hotch answered candidly, but then broke off, uncomfortable by the turn of gravity the conversation had taken. Luckily, Emily sensed this.

"I'm glad to hear that. I miss that little guy! The office is always more cheery when he's visiting. Maybe because he's a Hotchner who actually smiles," she teased good naturedly, and felt a sense of self-satisfaction when she saw the corners of Hotch's mouth turn up slightly.

"Alright, back to work. What can you tell me about our third family?" Emily shuffled through the folders on the desk.

"Uh, lets see. The Flanders. He's an accountant, she's a librarian at the local high school, and they are pretty much perfect citizens, not even parking tickets. Their daughter was Lilly Olson, she was actually a foster child in the Flanders' house, had been there about three months. A neighbor discovered the scene this morning when she went it, as was routine, to share a cup of coffee with Patty Flanders before work."

"Right. Okay, let's check with Reid and then meet up with the others and begin working our profile," Hotch said with determination. "I don't want another one of these happening tonight."

The rest of the day proved to be largely uneventful, though some tidbits were added to the team's profile of the unsub. Extra patrols had been added to the residential areas Reid had deemed most at risk, and it was just when everyone was packing up to go back to the hotel for the night that the phone rang. Detective Finley finished the call quickly, and turned to the team with a grim look.

"Jesus," he exhaled. "Lilly Olson was just found – alive. She escaped. She's alive."

* * *

What did you think? Tell me in a review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here is chapter 2 -- thanks for the kind responses to chapter 1, hopefully this will continue to be well received! if it is, chapter 3 should be up in a few days. let me know if you have any suggestions - i do really appreciate the feedback and input. oh, and keep reviewing please!

and of course, I own zilch.

* * *

The BAU snapped into action immediately. Everyone scrambled to get coats, phones, and guns, with Hotch shouting out directions – though he wasn't officially the boss anymore, in quick thinking situations like these it was natural for him to take the lead.

"Detective Finley, take Reid and Morgan to the site where she was found – meet us at the hospital when you're done. Rossi, Prentiss, with me, we're going to the hospital. Which one is she at?" he asked the flustered detective.

"Crestview Mercy," Finley responded, and the team fled out the doors of the precinct.

* * *

The ride to the hospital was quiet, but the feeling of urgency permeated the small space of the car.

"Prentiss," Rossi broke the silence. "If the girl is conscious, you'll have to interview her immediately." Hotch nodded in agreement, and shot a quick glance at his female subordinate. He thought about how hard it must be as the only female profiler – having to be the go-to person for battered survivors, most of whom were female. But, he thought, her maternal nature only caused her to excel at the job.

"He's right. She'll be much more responsive to you, and we don't have much time to lose if we want to make sure there are no more victims."

"Right," Emily steeled herself for what was sure to be an emotionally draining interview. "How the hell did she manage to escape?" she muttered under her breath, incredulous.

"That's what we have to find out," Rossi commented.

* * *

When they arrived at the hospital, the three rushed to the nurses' station. A uniformed officer greeted them, and Rossi began asking him questions while Hotch inquired after the health of the girl.

"Physically, she's not too bad off – a sprained wrist, bruised ribs, and cuts all over her body. And there's no sign of sexual assault," she added, catching Emily's inquisitive eye. "Emotionally, however, I'm unsure. She's been uncommunicative and it looks us about twenty minutes to inject her with a mild sedative to stop her from screaming. She is still lucid however, as I imagine you have questions for her. Just be gentle," the nurse advised, handing the agents Lilly's file as Rossi rejoined them.

"She was found stumbling down a small road just outside of city limits, screaming. A couple driving home stopped, took one look at her, and called 911 immediately. The couple who found her are in the waiting room, they followed the ambulance to make sure the girl was alright – "

"Lilly, her name is Lilly," Emily interjected, and Rossi's shot his colleague a look, knowing her tendency to get too emotionally involved, and warning her against it.

"Anyway, I'll go talk to them now. I imagine you'll want to watch as Prentiss does the interview?" his question to Hotch was more of a statement, and the older man headed down the hallway to the waiting room.

Hotch and Emily peered into Lilly Olson's room. The girl was petite, small for her fifteen years, made to look even smaller by the large hospital bed. Her head was bowed, but her face was still visible, and both agents were surprised by the lack of tears on her face. Usually survivors showed outward signs of emotional mess – hysterical sobbing was not uncommon.

"Looks like she's in shock," Hotch murmured quietly to Emily. "That's going to make your job a little harder, but you can do it. I'll be right outside watching, just try and get as much information as possible.

"I know, Hotch. I'll be alright," Emily reassured him as she stepped into the room. Almost unnoticeable, the young girl's eyes moved upwards to acknowledge the agent.

"Hi, Lilly," Emily began gently, coming up to the side of the bed. "My name is Emily Prentiss, I work with the FBI," she watched as Lilly bit her lip but remained quiet. "If it's okay, I'd like to ask you some questions about what happened to you, so we can catch the man who hurt you and your parents." Lilly swallowed hard, but remained still. Emily paused for a moment, thinking of the best approach.

Settling into a seat on the side of the bed, Emily took the girl's hands into her own, and slowly Lilly's eyes raised, a flash of emotion, and then her expression hauntingly vacant.

"Lilly, I know that this is really hard, and I am so, so sorry for what happened to you. But I really need your help, Lilly. I really need you to help me make sure that whoever hurt you can't do it to anyone else. Can you tell me about what happened?" Emily's voice was soft and calm, and her hands were warm against Lilly's cold ones. "Lilly?"

Finally, the girl moved. She gave an unmistakable nod, and internally Emily sighed with relief. The team needed this information.

"Okay. Lilly, I want you to start from the beginning."

* * *

It took an hour for Lilly to tell her story to Emily, speaking in short, clipped sentences, her face never betraying any emotion. She was methodical, and both Emily and Hotch watching from the doorway were impressed with the girl's memory of detail. She described the way in which she had heard her foster mother's screams, and ran downstairs to discover her foster father dead, a masked man in the kitchen. She described the way the man slit Patty Flanders' throat before turning his attention to her. She told the agent about the knock to the head he had given her, and waking up on a cold slab. She recounted the yelling from outside that had caused the Unsub to abandon her just as he was beginning to undo his belt, to leave her for a moment, and how that had allowed her to make her escape. When she was done, she took a deep breath, her lip trembled, but her face remained impassive, and Emily felt as though her heart was going to break for the poor girl.

"Lilly, you did so well, sweetheart," Emily said, trying to keep her composure. "You did such a good job, and I promise you that we are going to find the man who did this. I promise," Emily couldn't help her voice from cracking with emotion, and she gave Lilly's hand a squeeze before getting off the bed. She met Hotch's eyes and knew he could read the pain in her own. Just as she reached her teammate, handing him her notes, a small voice called out.

"Emily?" Lilly's voice was small, and Emily whirled around immediately. Lilly's head was raised, and when she met Emily's startled gaze, her face crumpled, and her body began to shake with silent sobs. Emily immediately ran back to the girl, and Hotch followed behind her. Lilly held out her arms like a two-year-old asking to be picked up, and Emily took the girl into her arms without second thought, while Hotch in an uncharacteristic move patted the girl's head reassuringly, but Emily shook off the surprise – she knew her boss was thinking about Jack, having seen him step aside a few minutes prior to say goodnight to his son on the phone.

Rubbing circles on Lilly's still heaving back, Emily locked eyes with Aaron on the other side of the bed. Their ability to communicate silently had grown stronger in the past few months. He could practically read her racing thoughts.

"Prentiss, I would like you to stay here tonight, if you wouldn't mind. You may be able to find out more information from Lilly, and you'll be an excellent source of protection for her. We can never be too careful. I'll have your go-bag sent up, and you can meet us back at the station in the morning." Emily's body relaxed in gratitude.

"Thank you, Hotch," Emily said, "I'll be careful." Hotch nodded, knowing she was referencing both her charge and her objectivity. Noticing the young girl's sobs were slowing, Hotch took the opportunity to address her - stoic as he may be, he was not heartless.

"Lilly, you did an extraordinary job. I'm so sorry for what you went through. Goodnight," he added softly before turning to leave. "Oh, and goodnight, Emily."

"Goodnight, Hotch," the brunette agent replied, giving him a small smile, pleasantly surprised by the use of her first name. Then she turned her attention back to the broken young girl in her arms. "You're safe, Lilly. You're okay. I promise."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for the slight delay in posting - I was traveling back to school, so there was little time to post. So, here's chapter 3. I kind of struggled with this one, but it's a transitional chapter and some stuff had to happen. I also want to know if you guys think I'm laying it on too thick with the Emily/Hotch stuff - I do want to incorporate it, but it's not the only focus of this story. Reviews are much appreciated!

And, as always, I own nothing.

* * *

The bright light of morning hit Emily's eyelids, and she sat up with a start, trying to identify her surroundings. Then she remembered where she was as her eye skimmed the still sleeping girl in the bed next to hers. Emily checked her watch – 7:00am. She groaned inwardly, it was nearing three in the morning when Lilly's sobs started to subside and her body went soft with sleep. A nurse had kindly brought in a cot for Emily, and she had fallen asleep upon first impact.

Now, however, she was wide-awake, her mind racing with thoughts about the case. Lilly hadn't given her any more information, in fact the girl hadn't seen a word since her meek "Emily", but sleep always seemed to give Emily extra processing when working a case, and all the information she'd collected the day before seemed to be fitting itself together.

Emily stepped into the small bathroom to fix herself up a little before heading back to the precinct to meet up with the team. She looked at herself dryly in the mirror – good God, four hours of sleep on an uncomfortable cot was not good for one's self esteem. But, she reminded herself – it's not as if she was trying to impress anyone at work. In fact, she chided, it would be _inappropriate_ to be trying to impress someone at work. As if he could sense her thinking of him (or, rather, trying very hard _not_ to think of him), Emily's phone buzzed with a text.

_Meet at the precinct 8. Everything ok?_

Emily smiled before she could control herself, and hastily typed back a reply.

_Everything's good. See you 8…I'll bring coffee._

She hoped it wasn't too presumptuous of her to add the coffee in there, and she hoped he wouldn't read too much in to it. It wasn't unusual for one of them to pick up two coffees on the way into the office at Quantico, and it seemed rational that the practice would continue on the road. Though her text didn't really warrant a response, Emily couldn't help but glancing over at her phone as she continued to fix herself up. When she caught herself, she sank back against the wall.

"Get a grip, Em. Pull yourself together," she spoke to her mirror-self, slapping herself lightly in the face for good measure. "You are not a simpering pre-teen. You are a grown ass woman! Act like one!" Satisfied by the pep talk, she gathered her things and exited the small bathroom.

As she did, she saw that Lilly had woken and was staring at her curiously.

"Were you just talking to yourself?" The young girl asked, the real words Emily had heard her speak, and the agent was relieved that the girl seemed to have come out of the shock-induced muteness of the night before.

"No! Well – yes. Yes I was, it's a habit I'm trying to break," Emily admitted. "How are you doing this morning, Lilly?" she asked gently.

"Fine," the girl answered softly, and shifted herself in the bed, wincing a bit. Emily shot her a look, not believing the answer for one second. Lilly met the gaze and relented – in a big way. "I mean, not fine. Nothing hurts too much but I can't really be fine, can I? I mean, I'm safe and alive so that's a plus I suppose but I'm stuck in a hospital bed and I cried in front of a stranger for like one hundred hours last night and I don't even know what's going to happen to me now. So, all in all, not fine," she ended her tirade bitterly, her eyes welling with tears once again. Emily knew this type of angry outburst was common for victims processing their emotions, and knew that after the shock wore off, anger was the next burden to bear.

"Lilly, it's okay to be angry. This man took a lot from you – but you're right. You _are_ alive. And I know it really sucks right now, and you have been through more than anyone should ever have to, but I promise, it will get better. You will move on. It won't be easy, but you can do it, okay?"

"How the hell am I supposed to move on when I don't even have anywhere to go?" Lilly's voice was shrill with desperation. "I was finally in a permanent home – Jim and Patty were going to adopt me, did you know that? It had only been three months but they were the first family that chose me and wanted to keep me. And now they're gone. And I have nowhere to go except back in the system." With the last statement, her voice broke and she buried her head in her hands. Emily's heart broke for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past twenty-four hours. She approached the side of Lilly's bed, and gently took the girl's hands away from her face. Lilly didn't resist, and she raised her head and looked directly into Emily's dark eyes.

"I don't want to go back there," she whispered meekly. "I had a family, for once, and now I don't have one anymore."

"Oh, Lilly, god. I'm going to find you someplace, okay? I'm going to have my friend Penelope search the entire world to find you a place to go that's safe and warm and happy. She's a genius, Penelope is. She can do anything. I promise you that, okay?" Lilly took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her cheek, and put on a brave face as she nodded reluctantly. "And I'm so sorry, sweetie, but I have to go in to the police station – they need me there to help catch this guy. But there's still a uniform outside your door, so you'll be safe, alright? Call me if you need anything, Lilly." Emily gathered her stuff off of the cot, gave Lilly a reassuring smile, and just as she was about to leave, Lilly's voice called out to her as it had the night before.

"Emily?" The brunette turned around. "Could you – I mean, would you mind, if you aren't too busy and all, would you maybe come visit later? I, um, I don't really want to be alone all day," Lilly admitted, her face still strong but her voice wavering with emotion.

"Of course, Lilly. I'll be back in the evening, okay?" Lilly smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She hesitated for a moment, then spoke again.

"Emily? Catch him, okay? Please?" her voice was quiet, and Emily knew the young girl was trying to keep it together.

"We will, Lilly. We will." and with that, Emily left the room. Lilly hadn't even needed to ask – Emily had been planning on coming back anyway, and she most definitely planned on catching the bastard who had hurt that poor girl before he could do any more damage. As she walked, she thought about what her boss would say when he learned of her evening plans. She knew that she was going to be there for Lilly, no matter how much warning Hotch gave her. He was always on her to remain objective and keep her emotional distance, but it was much easier said than done. Screw it, she thought. Just because he can be a robot doesn't mean I have to be. A pang of guilt passed through Emily's stomach – the past year in particular had given Emily particular insight into her boss' mind, and she though she knew he wasn't a robot, he did have remarkable skill at keeping a tight lid on his emotions. Too tight a lid, Emily often thought, though she could never voice that opinion to him. He had began to open up to her, the past few months especially, and though each revelation was small, they were quickly adding up. He's not a robot, Emily amended in her head to appease her guilt, and then groaned and quickly shook all thoughts of the man out of her head as she drove back to the station.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but here's the next installment. I'm sorry if it's too boring/case oriented in this chapter, but it had to happen. I promise there will be some good Prentiss/Hotch action coming up soon! And please do give me reviews and comments because I want to make sure people are liking this and interested in it!

As always, own nothing.

* * *

"No, Hotch, I really don't think that's a good idea," Emily's voice was rising from the hallway, and it caught Lilly's attention. The brunette agent had been true to her word, and had come back to visit at the end of the day, bringing the man from the day before, Agent Hotchner, and a new agent – a nice woman named JJ with her.

"I don't think it's a good idea, either, Agent Prentiss," the man's voice was rising as well, but his was much more controlled. "But it may be the only thing that will allow us to catch this guy." Lilly's insides rolled and she took a large swallow, straining to hear more. As if by internal sense, Emily took a glance back into the room at the girl and then led Agent Hotchner further down the hall. Lilly sighed with frustration.

"What is going on out there? Why haven't they found him yet, and what is this idea they have to catch him?" She asked JJ, who was sitting in a chair by the bed reading one of the magazines she had brought for Lilly. Lilly had been attempting to take her mind off of the nagging fear she felt in the pit of her stomach by reading the silly sex story in the back of the Cosmopolitan magazine, but had thrown it down when she had heard the raised voices from the hall. JJ cleared her throat.

"We're very close, Lilly, I can promise you that," she answered diplomatically, not wanting to work up the girl. But Lilly wasn't appeased.

"What's the plan they're talking about? Is it dangerous? Why doesn't Emily think it's a good idea?" JJ sighed; it was natural for the young girl to be demanding answers.

"Well," JJ began carefully, "Agent Hotchner and some of the other agents think that the man who did this to was trying to recreate a former love, and took girls that looked like her so he could feel safe and not lonely anymore. They think that if, maybe, one of the girls was to reach out to _him_, he would be very easy to capture and arrest."

"You mean like me? Because I'm the only girl that's still alive," Lilly reminded the woman with a humorless laugh.

"Yes, that is true. But, like I said Lilly, we're really close to catching him and we're doing everything in our power to get him right this minute."

"But you're also saying that, like, if I reached out or whatever to this psycho then you would for sure catch him?" JJ was uneasy; she could tell where this conversation was headed. "And that's what they're arguing about? Emily doesn't want me to do that?"

"Emily – and all of us – are concerned first and foremost with your safety. We're going to exhaust all the options first."

"Well that's stupid!" Lilly's voice was shrill. "What about the safety of the other girls this guy's going after? What about them? I get it, I'm the goddamn lucky one, right? Well, I don't really feel very lucky, and I'm guessing those dead girls don't either. Listen, you seem nice and all, but you don't know me. I have nothing to lose here," Lilly hissed through the pain as she attempted to get out of her bed.

"Lilly, please, you're going to hurt yourself," JJ pleaded. "Listen, Lilly, you're right, I don't know you, and I don't know what you've been through, but you can't give up now, okay? You have to be strong, and that's hard, but you just can't give up now." Lilly regarded the blonde woman for a second, taking deep breathes.

"Can you please tell them to come here?" She gestured to the agents in the hallway, still in a heated debate.

"Sure," JJ said, glad the girl had been placated in remaining in bed. Lilly watched as she retrieved the other two agents, and watched as they both glanced back at her, and then came inside the room. Once they were both standing near, Lilly was direct.

"I want to do it," she said flatly, and two sets of eyes widened in surprise.

"Lilly –" Emily began.

"No, listen. I'm doing it. I want to do it. I want to be able to sleep at night, and I want to be able to not see his face every time I close my eyes. I want to _know_ that he's locked up, and I want to know that he can't hurt me. I want to see him get arrested and I want to help because I don't want to live like this anymore, and I don't want anyone else to have to," Lilly's voice was cracking, and rogue tears were making tiny paths down her cheeks.

"That's very brave of you, Lilly," Hotch replied, and Lilly sighed.

"It's not brave, Agent Hotchner. It's selfish."

* * *

"Are you sure, Lilly? You don't have to do this, you know," Emily spoke softly to the young girl, who sat determined in her bed, waiting for the signal to go.

"I know. I'm doing it," Lilly insisted, and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready," she lifted her eyes to meet those of Agent Rossi's.

"Alright, Lilly. All you need to do is keep him talking, and we'll do the rest. If it starts to get scary or too intense, you can just hang up, okay? And whatever you do, make sure it seems like it's your idea – like we're not here with you. Okay?" Lilly nodded, and with shaking fingers picked up the phone. The rest of the BAU was crowded into the hospital room, and some special equipment had been brought in to record the telephone conversation, and all members were silent as the girl began to dial. A ringing sound filled the air, and Lilly could feel her heart beating insanely fast.

"Hello?" A man answered, and his voice was gruff.

"Hi, um," Lilly's voice was little more than a squeak, but she took a deep breath and recovered, steeling herself. "Is this David? David Walker?"

"Who is this?" The man's voice turned suspicious.

"It's me, David. Allison James. Your high school girlfriend," Lilly recited the lines she had been given.

"Allison?" The man's voice was confused.

"Yeah, it's me, David. I know that it was really hard when we broke up, and I'm really sorry for that, but I haven't ever been able to stop thinking of you," she hoped she sounded truthful, and hoped that this guy would be as delusional as the agents had assured her he would be.

"Allison," the man gasped. "Is it really you?"

"Yeah Dee, it's really me," Lilly replied, using the pet name the real Allison James had supplied Garcia with.

"Allison!" the voice was excited, and the dropped. "You left me. Why did you leave me, Allison?"

"I – I" Lilly stuttered. "I didn't want to, David. It was my parents, they made me, they said I had to break up with you when we moved. I never wanted to leave you, David, I promise," Lilly felt Emily place a hand on her shoulder in support.

"I knew it was because of your parents! I knew those sons of bitches didn't like me," David swore, and above Lilly's head the agents exchanged meaningful glances with each other – exactly why this unsub had been killing the parents.

"I know, David, and I'm so sorry for everything. But I'm back now, I'm back in Virginia Beach. And I'd really like to see you. At the usual spot? At seven?" Lilly swallowed hard, and could taste the bile in her throat. "I never stopped loving you," she managed to say before biting her lip to keep herself from throwing up.

"Oh Allison, I never stopped loving you, I've been searching for you all these years, and girls, they come and go but none are ever you," the voice was getting desperately sweet, and Lilly was really having trouble containing herself. "I'll see you at seven, sweetheart,"

"Great, bye," Lilly managed to get out before reaching for the ice bucket next to her and vomiting into it without ceremony. Emily reacted quickly and pulled the girl's long hair away from her face, and rubbed comforting circles on her back. Once she had finished, she looked up at the members of the BAU with tears in her eyes.

"Go get him. Please," she said, looking directly at Hotch. He nodded, and motioned for the team to get going. Emily did so reluctantly, giving Lilly a reassuring pat on the shoulder before exiting. Only the team leader remained, his expression characteristically stoic.

"Lilly," he said, softer than she had expected. "That was an exceptionally brave thing to do, and even if you say it was selfish, that doesn't make it any less brave. You saved lives tonight. Thank you."

Lilly gave the man a small smile that, Hotch noted, didn't quite reach her eyes.

"He killed the only family I was ever gonna have. I had to," Hotch nodded with understanding, and, with one final look back at the girl, followed his crew out.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Here's where the meat of the story really picks up. I tried to keep both Hotch & Emily in character, but it got a little tricky! Please tell me if you think they're too out of character, though. And please, please review! I really truly want to hear what you all think and any constructive criticism or ideas you may have. Thanks!

As always, own nothing.

* * *

"Reid got him to confess to everything," Hotch gestured to the young genius beside him as they entered into the bullpen from the interrogation rooms. The four other agents sighed in relief. "Alright, guys. Morgan, Rossi, Reid, why don't you go over the confession and paperwork and make sure everything is in order. JJ, please release a statement to the press informing the public of the arrest. Prentiss, check in with Garcia regarding Lilly. I'm going to speak to officers for a moment, but why don't we all meet back up for dinner at the hotel at 6?" The team members all nodded their agreement, and went about their separate tasks.

Emily's hands worked quickly as she called her favorite technical analyst, hoping for good news.

"Hi sugar plum!" was Garcia's cheery greeting, and Emily smiled. "What can I do ya for?"

"I was wondering what you had found about family for Lilly. Any living relatives?"

"Oh, right. Well, I did extensive digging, and I hate to tell you this, but I am excessively brilliant but even that couldn't find anything, she has no living relatives. I'm sorry, Em, but she was entered into the foster system at birth, and there are no records of any relatives of the birth mother – who died, by the way, during childbirth, and the birth father was unlisted." Emily felt her heart sink with the news. To be honest, it was what she had expected, but that didn't make it less sad for Lilly.

"Alright, well maybe we can find her a new foster family," Emily contemplated. "I mean, maybe we can speak to her case worker about making sure she finds a place quickly," she amended.

"That's going to be hard. Fifteen year olds aren't exactly designer goods in the foster system. Especially ones that are coming in needing extra attention, as Lilly will due to the trauma." Garcia's voice was sympathetic, which Emily appreciated. "Sorry, Em. Believe me, I know how hard it is, but there's nothing really we can do."

"Thanks, Garcia. I'll see you soon, we're heading home tomorrow." Emily tried to keep her voice light, but her heart was sinking inside. She knew exactly what it was like to be a teenage girl who felt alone in the world – she had _been_ that girl. Garcia's voice ruptured Emily's thoughts, and Emily was jolted away from her thoughts of the poor teen.

"Anytime, cherie!"

* * *

"Did Garcia find anything?" Emily was startled out of her silent reverie by the sound of the unmistakable voice. She turned quickly from the window to face Hotch.

"No," she said quietly. "No family. Mother died in childbirth, father never listed. And, as Garcia pointed out, it's highly unlikely that Lilly will be lucky enough to find another family willing to adopt her – a fifteen year old with issues," she said bitterly.

It was quiet for a moment, and Hotch opened his mouth a few times, trying to think of just the right thing to say. He knew his colleague was a complicated woman, and though he was a great profiler, it was sometimes very hard to figure out just what exactly was going on in that pretty head of hers, but he wanted to let her know what had been going on in _his_ head the past few days.

"It won't be easy, you know," he settled on. She met his eyes, confusion etched in her face. "But when have you ever shied away from a challenge?" His question was rhetorical, and he stepped closer to the woman.

"What are you talking about, Hotch?" she asked, acutely aware of his presence in her personal bubble.

"Lilly. It won't be easy for you two, but you'll manage. Hell, if I can do it with a five year old, you can do it with a fifteen year old," he gave her a small smile. Understanding finally began to dawn on Emily.

"Hotch, what are you suggesting?" How could he read her mind? How did he know exactly what she was thinking, how could he predict her responses so accurately?

"Emily, you know exactly what I'm talking about it. Don't try to tell me you weren't sitting over here thinking of ways to bring that girl back to D.C. with us. With you." He softened his voice, and looked at her imploringly.

"What? You were the only who made me out to be an idiot when I raised the idea before!" her voice was heated, and he knew that he had struck a nerve. "Hotch, you told me I had to stay objective. You told me that! You know better than anyone what this job takes, and now you're just throwing all that stuff about professionalism and dedication to the job and nothing else, you're just throwing that away? What the hell are you trying to do to me here?" Hotch wasn't too surprised with her reaction – she was a fiery woman, after all.

"Listen, Emily. I know what I said in the past. But I was wrong then, I was. I didn't know what I was talking about. But these past few months, losing Haley, almost losing Jack, I get it now. Families are the most important thing, no matter what form they take." He let her digest that for a moment before continuing.

"Besides, you are a fantastic profiler. I don't doubt your dedication to the job, but I also don't doubt that you were born to be a mother, too. You're a natural. With all the kids we come into contact with, with Jack – Emily, you deserve to be happy, too. You spend so much time making sure everyone else is happy and taken care of, you need to make sure you are as well." Emily could scarcely believe the words coming from her boss' mouth. It took her a full two minutes to recover the ability to speak – all the while, Hotch watched her carefully, knowing he must have provided quite a shock.

"Thank you," she managed first. "For saying that. But shit, Hotch you sure know how to blindside a girl," her voice was still incredulous. "And, to be honest, out of everyone you were the last I ever expected to say those words," she let out a deep breath.

"I know," he acknowledged. "But I'm serious. Family, Emily, that's what's important. I know Lilly needs one, and I'd really like to see you half as happy as you have been," he said sincerely, and Emily looked up at her boss with a fake glare.

"I hate profilers," she muttered, then looked again at Hotch. "So, not only are you not going to yell at me for compromising my objectivity, you're going to actually encourage me to do so?" She inquired, still unable to fully believe it.

"Emily, the case is over. Your objectivity, I'm sorry to say, is always compromised when we work with kids, so no change there," he gave her a small smile to show he wasn't reprimanding her. "All I know is that there is a young girl who needs a home, and there's a strong and wonderful woman who wants to give her one. I think my solution is only practical," he explained. Emily was silent in contemplation for a while longer, then stood decisively.

"Okay. I'm going to go see Lilly. And maybe a lawyer," she declared. "Tell the team what's going on?" Hotch nodded. "I probably won't make dinner, but I'll see you later."

Just as Emily reached the door, she turned around again. "Oh and, you think I'm wonderful?" she quirked her eyebrow and let a small grin play on her lips. To her surprise and delight, a faint blush spread on Hotch's face, but he remained composed.

"Go get Lilly, Agent Prentiss," he ordered, and Emily smiled at him again.

"Thanks, Hotch."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm hoping to keep updating rather quickly like this, but of course reviews are really the only thing that move me faster! Also, just as a disclaimer: I know absolutely nothing about how the foster care system works -- sorry if any of this seems unrealistic, but that's not what I was really concentrating on. Thanks for reading, and I would love it if you would review!

Oh, and I own nothing.

* * *

It took Emily about ten minutes to get from the precinct back to the hospital, chatting with Garcia the entire time about expediting paperwork and contacting the Department of Child Services in Virginia. She was glad to hear her blonde friend relay back that since the foster child would remain in state, it would make the entire process much easier. And, Garcia reported, because she worked for the FBI, Emily wouldn't have to wait to be approved to bring Lilly home, though she would still be subject to home visits and meetings with a case worker to ensure everything was working out.

Emily's heart was racing as she clicked her phone shut and pulled into the hospital parking lot. She was excited and terrified – what if Lilly didn't want to come with her? What if she did want to, and then Emily couldn't deliver? What if she was a complete failure at parenting? It took Emily a full two minutes before she resolutely shoved her anxiety away and marched inside the hospital. When she reached Lilly's floor, she saw the young girl standing by the nurse's desk with an older woman.

"Lilly?" Emily's voice was slightly shaky in anticipation.

"Hi, Emily," Lilly's gave a small smile, but her voice was melancholy, and she shifted a small bag with her belongings from one hip to the other.

"Hi, I'm Agent Emily Prentiss," Emily introduced herself to the other woman, who returned the handshake.

"Susan Meyers. Child Services," she said, and Emily swallowed. "Lilly here is getting discharged today, so I'm here to pick her up and take her back to the group home we've been lucky enough to find!" The woman's voice was forced cheerfulness. "And I was just telling Lilly that they have two other teen girls – it'll be just like having sisters!" Emily resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the fake attempt to excite Lilly about going to a group home.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but may I talk to you for a second?" Emily gave Lilly a reassuring smile. "Lilly, how about you wait on that bench over there? Here's a dollar, you can visit the vending machine if you want, but don't go too far," she handed over a bill to the girl, who took it gratefully but cast a woeful glance back at the two women as she walked away.

"Yes?" The social worker looked at her watch.

"Ms. Meyers, I've actually been in contact with your office for about, well, the past ten minutes, but that part's not important, but I've been in contact with Child Services because I'd like to take Lilly home with me. I would like to be her foster parent," the words came out as a rush, and Ms. Meyers frowned.

"I'm sorry, Agent Prentiss, but we don't just let strangers take children home," she said curtly.

"I know, ma'am, I'm sorry, I'm doing a terrible job explaining. If you could just put a quick call in to your supervisor, a Mr. Scott? That's who I was talking to. I'm already cleared for becoming a foster parent, all that's really left is for you to check with him and to sign the paperwork," Emily pulled up the document on her phone. "We can probably print them out right here," Emily's anticipation was taking control, and she took a deep breath to calm herself down as Ms. Meyers dialed her office.

It was about three minutes of listening to Ms. Meyers' small "mmhmms" before the call ended. Emily sprang up from the chair she had been fidgeting in.

"Well?" she inquired breathlessly.

"Well, Agent Prentiss, you certainly act quickly. I'm impressed," Now aware that Emily wasn't merely a stranger trying to take a child, Ms. Meyers was much more pleasant. "You're right, everything is in order – I suppose working for the FBI does have some advantages," her mouth quirked up in a smile. "For you, and for Lilly."

"Oh, thank you so much Ms. Meyers," Emily's face broke out in a wide grin.

"You're welcome. But listen, we've assigned a D.C. caseworker to Lilly, and she'll be making monthly visits to your home. She'll also be speaking with your coworkers, family, and friends." Emily resisted the urge to tell the woman that her coworkers _were_ her family and friends. "Once the evaluation period is over, you can file adoption papers if you so wish."

"Okay, done and done. Now everything's set?" she clarified, and Ms. Meyers smiled warmly.

"Well, yes, except I think we may want to see what Lilly says about all of this," she reminded Emily.

"Oh, of course," Emily stammered. Her heart began pounding again. "Do you think she'll – nevermind. Do you mind if I do this alone?" she asked.

"Not at all. I'll be waiting here."

* * *

"Hey, Lilly." Emily greeted the young girl who was silently munching a Twix bar.

"Hey, Emily," returned the girl sadly. "Guess you heard, huh? Group home. Can't wait," she said sarcastically. "But I guess it's a bed and a meal, right? And I'm fifteen, so only three more years til I can get the hell out of here."

"Lilly," Emily sat down beside the girl. "I've been doing some thinking. What would you say if maybe I asked you if you wanted to not go to that group house, but come home with me instead?" The question was out there. Lilly looked up at the woman dubiously.

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly. "Like for tonight?"

"Actually, Lilly, like forever," Emily gave her a small smile, but Lilly's face remained doubtful.

"You want me to come home with you? To D.C.? And live with you? Like, you'd be my foster mom?"

"Well yes, that's the idea," Emily's heart began to sink as Lilly's face stayed the same. "If you want," she added quietly.

"Why the hell do you want me to come live with you?" Lilly asked. "I'm a fifteen year old with nightmares. No one wants to deal with that," her voice was monotone, and Emily's heart broke at the words.

"Lilly, I was a fifteen year old with nightmares, too. I know what it's like, and I want to help you. I can't promise I'll be that good at it – but I'll always try to do what's best for you. You deserve a family, Lilly. And I want one. So we can be each other's, okay? I'm not just doing this for you, Lilly. I'm doing this for me, too." It was silent for a minute, and Emily watched as tears rolled down the young girl's face.

"You really want me?" the words were almost inaudible, but at once Emily wrapped an arm around Lilly's shoulders and pulled her close.

"Yes, Lilly. I really do. It's going to be hard, but I think we can do it," she echoed Hotch's earlier words.

"So I'm moving to D.C.?" Lilly asked. A grin broke out on Emily's face.

"Depends on if you say yes," she said lightly, and Lilly raised her eyes, and finally gave a true smile. "You can decorate your new room any way you like," she added as if to sweeten the deal.

"Okay. Although I am really going to miss the two new sisters I was going to have," Lilly's voice was teasing, and Emily was ecstatic to finally hear a playful tone from the girl.

"Yeah, I certainly can't give you sisters. But I can give you an insanely ornery cat," Emily offered.

"A cat? I've never had a pet before," Lilly said as the duo walked down the hallways of the hospital, Emily carrying Lilly's small bag of items. They walked in comfortable silence until the reached the car. Emily loaded the bag into the backseat, then looked at Lilly.

"Ready to go?" she asked, and Lilly nodded thoughtfully.

"Emily?" getting used to hearing her name in the form of a question, Emily smiled.

"Yes?"

"I just – well, thank you. For you know, like saving me and whatever. I mean, I woulda been fine, but, uh…thanks. Really."

"You're welcome, Lilly," Emily said softly as the pair climbed into the car.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Here's chapter 7, hope you all like it! Please keep reviewing, I really really appreciate it.

And I own nothing.

* * *

"She looks happy," Hotch observed to the woman sitting to his right. Their flight home had been delayed because of a storm, so they were currently grounded at the private Virginia Beach airport. Emily glanced up from her book to see her charge and Reid engaged in a game of chess – Reid, Emily noticed, was going easy on the girl. Bless his heart.

"She does," Emily agreed. "Sometimes it's hard to remember what she went through just days ago. She's too good at compartmentalizing for her own good, I think." Hotch turned to her with an amused look.

"Sounds like someone else I'm familiar with," he said, and Emily looked defensive for a moment before she shrugged.

"Takes one to know one," she shot back, and Hotch chuckled good- naturedly.

"I'm worried, though. For her. She hides her feelings exceptionally well, and I don't think it's healthy. I think I'm going to make an appointment with a therapist for her. Do you think she'll hate me for that?"

"If she does, you know you're doing your job as her mom," Hotch replied, and Emily gave a snort.

"Great."

* * *

Hotch started awake. It look him a moment to get his bearings before he realized what had woken him up – Jack was having a nightmare. He could hear the telltale whimpering that he had become so attuned to. Then he opened his eyes. Not Jack. Lilly. And they were on the plane. They had finally left around midnight, and though the flight was exceptionally short, they had all fallen asleep within seconds of settling in. He could feel the signs of beginning descent as he woke.

The girl lying across from him was twitching in her sleep and occasionally letting out a slight whimper. He glanced to Emily. She was fast asleep, nestled up against Morgan – Hotch felt an irrational surge of jealousy before he turned to the more pressing matter. He knelt down next to the young girl.

"Lilly," he said softly. "Lilly, wake up. You're safe, wake up Lilly," he murmured like a chant until the young girl's eyes flitted open. She looked surprised, and afraid.

"It was just a nightmare, Lilly. You're alright. You're safe, and you're almost home," he reassured her.

"Do they ever stop?" Lilly asked quietly, and Hotch wasn't sure how to answer.

"No," he decided on honesty. "But over time, they become easier and easier to deal with. Especially if you have people who care around you," he said, and Lilly swallowed.

"I'm sorry I woke you," she said, and Hotch saw her work to conceal her vulnerability – ironically, a trait she shared with her new foster parent.

"It's okay. I have them too. So does my son," he shared, and Lilly looked at him surprised.

"You have a son?"

"Jack, he's five. His mother died a few months ago," Hotch answered.

"I'm so sorry," Lilly said sincerely. "I've never really known what it was like to lose a real mom, you know? But I think it would really suck. Anyway, I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Hotch responded. "I'm sorry, too, Lilly."

"Thanks," the girl gave him a small smile. "For uh, you know, being honest with me," she said quietly as she picked up the People magazine on the table in front of her. Hotch settled back into his seat on the other side of the aisle.

"Hotch," a drowsy voice came from beside him where Emily was no longer leaning on Morgan, but was freshly awake and had watched some of his interaction with Lilly.

"She had a nightmare," he explained, and Emily nodded, still looking at him curiously. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just nice to see your softer side in action," she smiled.

* * *

"Well, here we are. Home sweet home," Emily announced as she drew open the door into her apartment, Lilly behind her. Both were apprehensive – it was the proverbial moment of truth. "Here's the kitchen, obviously. And the living area, and that little corner right there is like my office – I may or may not display workaholic tendencies," she tried to joke, but Lilly missed it, too busy investigating her new surroundings. She pulled open the fridge.

"Um, do you really live here?" she asked, noting the four cans of Diet Coke, lone apple, and unidentified leftovers in a plastic container.

"We'll go shopping in the morning," Emily promised. "It's just easier to order food or eat out when you're by yourself." She felt a twang inside when she realized how sad that sentence was, but Lilly didn't seem to notice.

"And upstairs, that's where the bathroom is, and the bedrooms," the duo trudged up the stairs, and Emily led the girl to her new room. "There's not much in it – a futon you can sleep on tonight, and we'll get you real furniture tomorrow. And if you want to change the wall color, that's fine too, really anything you want we can do," Emily rambled nervously and Lilly pushed open the door and looked in. The walls were a beautiful deep yellow color – almost orangey, even. There was a half-filled bookcase, an old wooden dresser, and a futon that had been made up as a bed. A framed print of Van Gogh's _Starry Night _hung on one wall.

"What do you think?" Emily asked as Lilly spun around, checking out everything. Lilly gave a sincere smile.

"It's perfect. I like the color. It's warm. It feels…homey, I suppose," Lilly answered.

"I'm glad," Emily said happily. "Alright Lilly, it's late so we should get to bed, but if you need anything at all please let me know. The towels and stuff are in the cabinet in the bathroom, and use anything in there that you need. We'll make sure you get everything tomorrow, okay? We can hit the mall, I have to stop by the office tomorrow, but it'll be quick." Lilly nodded.

"Your coworkers are really nice. Especially Hotch?" Lilly's voice was quiet. "At first he kinda freaked me out because he was like super serious and his eyes were always like crazy intense, but he uh, helped me out. He may have even smiled," she noted, and Emily chuckled.

"Yeah, that's Hotch," she said, and her voice carried a hint of pride. "And I saw you and Reid were hitting it off," she added, changing the subject.

"Spencer? Yeah, he's real weird but hilarious. He let me win at chess, but don't tell him I knew. He reminds me of one of my old foster brothers – Matt. It was my fourth home, I was seven and Matt was fifteen. He was smart too – not as creepy smart as Spencer, but definitely smart. He looked out for me, you know? Taught me how to read and helped me with my math. We were only together for a year, I think, but I never forgot him," the girl said wistfully. "That was the closest I ever got to having a real sibling. It was nice."

"Lilly, may I ask you a question?" Emily sat down beside the girl on the futon.

"I guess,"

"How many homes have you been in?" Emily asked carefully. Lilly turned to face her.

"Thirteen," she said simply. "Fourteen now, I guess, since I'm here."

"Well, this one's gonna be the one that sticks," Emily said surely, and Lilly gave her a half smile.

"I hope so," the girl looked down.

"I know so," Emily said forcefully. "Lilly, this is your home now. It's as much yours as it is mine – I don't want you to ever feel like you're not a permanent fixture here, because you are. This is your home now, okay? And this is your family," she gestured to the two of them. "Us. It's us now, and this is our home," she emphasized. "Now, we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow, so it's bedtime. Try to get some sleep, okay?" Emily stood, and Lilly looked up.

"Okay," she agreed. Then, without warning, she stood up and wrapped her small frame around her new foster mother. Emily was taken aback at first, but quickly squeezed Lilly tightly against her as the young girl seemingly clung to her as if her life depended on it. Finally, Lilly let go, and stepped back, busying herself with searching through her bag for her pajamas.

"Goodnight, Lilly," Emily said softly as she left the room. "Sweet dreams."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Here's the latest installment -- a little Emily/Hotch action, and never fear, more is coming! Oh, and stay tuned for Lilly and Jack's first meeting. Please do keep reviewing, I greatly appreciate it. And, as always, nothing belongs to me.

* * *

"Alright, I just have to stop by the office for a quick second to grab some files, and then we can head home. Oh, we should probably stop by the grocery store too – you saw the state of my fridge last night," Emily joked, but upon receiving no answer shot a quick look at her charge in the passenger seat. The girl was staring out the window, lost in thought, her finger lazily tracing circles on the window. "Lilly?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, that sounds fine," she replied distractedly.

"Penny for your thoughts," Emily said softly, and Lilly looked at her sheepishly.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just can't get over how what you bought for me today is more than I've had, like, ever. It doesn't even feel real. Like one of those dumb fairy tales that makes little girls believe in happily-ever-afters," she smiled, gesturing to the backseat where bags were piled up. Emily had insisted on buying the girl a variety of new clothes and shoes, and even had insisted on a new comforter (Lilly had picked a gorgeous floral print), a bedside table and lamp, and school supplies as a few well placed phone calls had assured Lilly a spot at a small magnet school in the city. Emily had one final thing for the girl as well, a computer she was having delivered, but was waiting until they returned home to surprise Lilly with it. "Thank you."

"Well, Lilly, you are very welcome. It's nice to shop for fun girl clothes, all I ever get to shop for are slacks and blazers," she wrinkled her nose. "That can get old."

"So this is BAU Headquarters?" Lilly asked as they pulled into the parking lot.

"Yep. Come on, let's go see what the team is up to."

* * *

"Oh goody, you guys are here!" Penelope Garcia was exactly as effusive as Emily had warned Lilly, and the girl wasn't surprised when the technical analyst pulled her in for a quick hug.

"Hi," Lilly said a little embarrassed, stepping back and addressing the assembled team.

"How'd your morning go, pretty ladies?" Morgan asked, and Emily smiled.

"It was very nice," she answered, and Lilly nodded in confirmation.

"Lilly," JJ stepped forth. "We have a little something for you, to welcome you to D.C., and to our weird little dysfunctional family," she smiled.

"Technically, families are described as dysfunctional in nature, due – " Reid began, but was hushed by a look from Rossi.

"Not now, kid," he reminded the young agent as the team parted to show a large box on the table behind them.

"That's for me?" Lilly asked incredulously, and Morgan smiled.

"Don't get too excited, kid, you don't know what's in there," he teased, and Lilly stepped forward.

"May I?" she asked.

"Of course, it's for you," JJ said warmly, and Lilly began to open the box. The first thing she pulled out was a book – _Slaughterhouse-five_, by Kurt Vonnegut.

"That's my pick," Morgan stated proudly. "Em'll be glad to have another Vonnegut lover in the house." Lilly smiled, and continued to pull books out of the box.

"That's mine!" Reid said excitedly as she pulled out _The Sound and The Fury_.

"Of course it is," Emily remarked dryly.

"Ah, and of course this great love story was my pick," Garcia said dreamily as Lilly held up _Pride and Prejudice_, then _East of Eden_, which Rossi claimed, and _Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close_ came from JJ. There were two books left in the box, and Lilly pulled them out together. Emily looked around quizzically – only Hotch's gift had yet to be given, who was the other one from? Hotch met her questioning eyes, and spoke up.

"One's from Jack," he stated. "When we went to the bookstore he wanted to chose one for you too," he explained to Lilly.

"I'm gonna guess it's this one," Lilly laughed as she unwrapped _If You Give A Mouse A Cookie_, and Hotch smiled.

"You would be correct," he replied, and then watched as Lilly unwrapped the book from him.

"_The Bean Trees,_" she read aloud.

"The woman at the bookstore assured me it was exactly what I was looking for," Hotch told her, and Lilly smiled in appreciation.

"Thank you so much, everyone. I really, really appreciate it," she said, and she fought to control the tears welling in her eyes. The team turned away respectfully, while Lilly composed herself.

"How was last night?" Hotch leaned closer to Emily as she began to gather files from her desk.

"It was good, I think," Emily said. "She still doesn't want to talk about what happened to her, and I don't want to push her, but I am going to take her to a psychiatrist later this week."

"Good," Hotch agreed. "It's good to have someone to talk to," he said softly.

"So _The Bean Trees_?" Emily asked.

"The girl at the bookstore told me it was all about making an unconventional family with the people you care about, and I figured that would be appropriate," he explained, and Emily felt her heart soften.

"That's really nice, Hotch. Thank you," she said sincerely, and placed a hand on his arm.

"You're welcome. It's the least I could do, after all you've done for Jack and I, it's only right to return the favor. So anything you two need, just let me know." He could feel her small hand radiating warmth on his arm. "You know we're all here for you," he echoed the words he had heard from her so often in the past months.

"We're all here for each other, Hotch, that's what we do," Emily reminded him. "Like JJ said, we are a weird, dysfunctional family. That's what family does."

"If we're a family, Reid's got to be the little brother," Hotch joked, and Emily smiled at him.

"Of course. And Morgan's the older brother, and JJ's the level headed middle child who works as hard but gets less credit. Rossi's the elusive bachelor family friend who no one remembers how he got here, he just always is, and Garcia's the wacky aunt."

"Well what does that make you and me?" Hotch asked, and Emily blushed slightly.

"Well, you're the dad. Stern and in charge, but protective and caring," she said quickly. "And I don't know about me, but I'm in there somewhere," she tried to play it off, but Hotch wouldn't let her.

"You're the mother, Emily. The one who takes care of everyone else and would take a bullet for any one of us if it meant we didn't have to be hurt. You're the nurturer, Emily. You've been mothering this team since you got here, and that's how I know that you are going to do so well with Lilly." Emily gave a shaky laugh.

"This new pump-up speech Hotch is kind of freaking me out," she admitted.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, his face falling for a fraction of a second before he could mask it, but Emily was too quick.

"No," she said quickly. "Don't be sorry! It's nice, Hotch. I appreciate it. It's nice to know someone has faith in you."

"I always have faith in you, Emily," he responded, his voice low, and a true blush graced Emily's cheeks as his dark eyes looked directly into hers. The short moment was broken, however, by Lilly's voice.

"Um, Emily? I'm kinda starving," the girl said, and Emily snapped her eyes away from Hotch.

"Alright, let's head on out then," the brunette stated, busying herself again with getting the files into her hands as she could still feel the eyes of her boss on her.

"Goodbye, Lilly. Emily," Hotch gave a small nod as the two ladies headed out of the office, passing JJ and Garcia on the way.

"Oh, my god," JJ said to her blonde friend. "Did you see that?"

"Hard to miss! God, he looked like he wanted to throw her up against the wall and ravish her!"

"I'm sure Emily wouldn't have a problem with that."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Here's some action for you! More upcoming. Please review, it really means a lot to me to hear what people think (even if it's constructive criticism, I'll take it!) and that they are enjoying the story. Any suggestions for future chapters are more than welcome, too. As always, I own absolutely nothing.

* * *

"No. I'm not going!" Lilly insisted, and Emily sighed.

"Lilly, I know you don't want to do this, but I really think it's going to be the best thing for you," she reasoned, flicking on the blinker.

"Really? You've known me for like a week, how would you know what's the best thing for me?" Lilly spat out.

"Lilly, you are fifteen years old. You've been through more than anyone should! Therapy isn't a punishment, it's something to help you learn how to live a happy and healthy life, and maybe I've only known you for a week, but you're stuck with me now, and it's my job to keep you safe and happy and I'm sorry but you are going to see Dr. Wyatt!" It was silent in the car for a moment before Lilly spoke again. Her voice was low.

"Fine, I'll go. But I'm not telling that doctor a damn thing. I can handle it! I'm fine," Lilly's voice was shrill. "I'm fine, okay! I wish you would just stop worrying about me, because I've been taking care of myself for fifteen years, I think I've got it down!" Emily could hear the young girl's voice cracking with emotion, and she took a deep breath to calm herself before addressing her charge again.

"Lilly," she began calmly. "I know that you can take care of yourself. But you shouldn't _have_ to. And it's my job to worry about you, so don't think that's ever going to change. Look, if you don't want to tell Dr. Wyatt everything, that's okay. But can you please just give it a shot? For me?" Emily's voice was pleading, and Lilly huffed and sat in silence again before answering.

"Fine. But I'm not happy about it," she reiterated.

"Yes, you've made that clear," Emily said, amused, and then made a peace offering. "Want to go over your class schedule again?" The pair had gone to visit the school a few days earlier, and Lilly had taken a few placement tests so she'd be put in the right classes. Though she was a sophomore, she was taking quite an advanced course load, Emily noted with pride.

Lilly sighed, but accepted the change of subject. "Sure. Okay, first period is Spanish 4, then Algebra 2, Chemistry, AP English, lunch, Photography, AP US History, and finally first year Latin," Lilly rattled off. "I'm glad I've memorized it so I don't have to look like a dork checking my schedule every two seconds. I'm already going to be fresh meat," she grumbled.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," Emily assured her. "And if you need anything or whatever, call me and I can be there in five minutes," Truth be told, the brunette may have been more nervous than her young companion. "And you remember which bus to take home?"

"Emily, I'll be fine," Lilly promised. "I remember which bus, I have all the emergency numbers plugged into my phone, I know how to work your security system, I'll call you when I'm home safe, and there's no one in this city who wants me dead," she said wryly, and Emily glared at the girl, who gave her a cheeky grin in return.

"Not funny, Lilly."

"Kinda funny, Emily."

* * *

"She's fine, Emily," Startled, Emily looked behind her, her phone clutched in her hand to see her two female coworkers looking at her with bemusement.

"I know, JJ," Emily said guiltily. "But what if she lost her phone or something?"

"Okay mama, talk about overprotective!" Garcia joined in. "She's in class. You're just stressing yourself out for nothing."

"I know, I know! But I've never done this before, okay? I'm a virgin here!" JJ and Garcia burst out laughing, and Emily immediately knew someone else had overheard that statement. She whirled around, her face turning red. Hotch stood there, his eyebrow quirked in amusement.

"That came out wrong. I'm not – nevermind," she stuttered. "Sorry, Hotch, I'm almost done with these reports," she said, gesturing to the paperwork on her desk.

"It's fine, Prentiss," he said. "I was the same way on Jack's first day of preschool. It's hard to let go." He offered her a rare smile.

"Yeah, well, as Lilly so kindly reminded me this morning, I've only known her a week so it shouldn't be so hard," she said, remembering the sting of the girl's comment earlier. Hotch laid a hand sympathetically on her shoulder, and a shock seemed to run through Emily's body. She wondered for a second if Hotch could feel it, if he knew the effect he had on her.

"Did you tell her about the therapy?" he asked, and Emily nodded.

"She wasn't thrilled," she remarked dryly. "Said she could take care of herself and that I couldn't know the best thing for her, since I didn't actually know her. It certainly didn't feel great to hear that."

"Yeah, well kids know how to push all your buttons. They want to challenge you so you can prove you care."

"What are you, Dr. Phil?"

"No, just a guy who became a single parent and read every one of those parenting books out there while I couldn't sleep so I would have some tiny idea of what I was doing."

"And do you?" Her voice was teasing – she loved the easy banter they had developed over the years.

"Nope," he admitted, giving her another grin. "But dealing with the unknowing, that gets easier. You'll get the hang of it, Prentiss. But for now, let's head to the conference room. JJ has us consulting with the Salt Lake City PD."

* * *

The Salt Lake City consult had taken the rest of the day, and Emily had relaxed after Lilly had called from home to check in. It was nearing five thirty when Hotch checked his watch and sent his team home. He had been doing that a lot, lately - making sure everyone got home early. It was a nice change of pace for all of them, getting to hang out with family and friends. Haley's death had been a terrible thing, but as unfortunate as it was, it served as a kind of metaphorical wake-up call for the team. They had all heard Haley's final words, and each team member had vowed to create a little more love in the world.

"Emily," he stopped her as she was about to leave, coat in hand. As always, she felt a thrill when he used her first name in the office. She turned around, trying in vain to hide the sheer delight on her face. He walked quickly to catch up with her and together they headed out to their cars.

"What's up?" Did he look nervous? Emily hated that he was so hard to read – she never felt this unsure about any other guy. But then again, she thought to herself, it's not like any other guy was the fantastic profiler and emotion-hider extraordinaire Aaron Hotchner was.

"Jack's been asking about you, he uh, misses you. And he's dying to meet Lilly. He – we – were wondering if you two wanted to join us for ice cream this weekend. Saturday?" Emily smiled at the simple request.

"Of course, Hotch, we'd love to. I miss Jack too, and I'm sure Lilly will be excited to meet him."

"Well, I'm sure he'll just talk her ear off. You know how he gets around beautiful ladies with dark hair," his tone was light and didn't betray his anxiety at letting out that line.

"Hotch," Emily responded in kind, rolling her eyes, hoping to avoid any potential awkwardness, but her heart was doing somersaults inside her chest – first he called her wonderful, now beautiful? What was this man trying to do to her?

"You know he adores you, Emily. He's not as comfortable with anyone else." She could feel her face grow warm with the combination of the compliment and his hand on the small of her back as he led her out the door to the garage.

"The feeling is mutual, Hotch. He's a great kid," she managed to say calmly as they reached her car. She smiled at him as she unlocked the door and threw the files inside. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow." She went to give him a little wave, and then quickly stopped herself self-consciously. She settled on a wide smile instead.

It happened so quickly she didn't even have time to process what was going on before it was over. Aaron Hotchner had leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. He had, right? Emily looked at her boss dumbfounded. He gave her a smile, appearing totally nonplussed.

"See you tomorrow, Emily." And with that, he walked to his own car while Emily Prentiss stood still like a love struck idiot for two minutes trying to wrap her mind around the events that had just occurred. When she was satisfied that he had in fact kissed her cheek, and that she was not in fact having delusions, she reached her hand gently up to the spot where his lips had landed.

"What the hell?" her bewildered voice echoed off the walls of the nearly empty garage. "He kissed me?!"


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Here's chapter 10 -- the beginning of some new Hotch/Prentiss action (Lilly knows!) and Jack makes his first (but certainly not his last) appearance. As always, it would be much appreciated and good karma of you to review, so please do!

And nothing belongs to me, of course.

* * *

Emily sat impatiently in the waiting room of Dr. Wyatt's office. Lilly had been inside with the psychiatrist for close to an hour at this point, and Emily's carefully controlled anxiety was begin to show itself. She flipped idly through a People magazine, her foot tapping a rhythm on the floor. Her stomach rumbled loudly, reminding her that she had been too nervous to eat breakfast, even though she had woken up to make pancakes for Lilly, as a peace offering for forcing her to go to the appointment.

Lilly had accepted the gesture without a word, eating the pancakes but avoiding Emily's attempts at lighthearted conversation. The ride to the doctor's office had been quiet, but Lilly had seemed to perk up slightly when Emily had reminded her that they had an ice cream date with the Hotchner men after the appointment; she was good with children, having had many foster siblings over the years, and was looking forward to meeting Jack.

Emily's anxiety eased slightly when she thought of their later plans – she was of course excited to see Jack again, but even more excited to see Hotch after the cheek-kiss in the parking lot. The BAU had been kept busy the rest of the week with consults, and Emily was looking forward to some alone time with Hotch, where they could abandon their professional personas.

Suddenly, the door next to her opened and Emily jumped up. Dr. Wyatt came out first, followed by a hard-to-read Lilly.

"Agent Prentiss," the doctor said warmly. "Thank you for waiting. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to speak with you for a quick second before you two go enjoy the rest of your day."

"Sure, of course," Emily replied, and she and Lilly switched spots, the teenager slumping down into the chair.

As soon as they were enclosed in her office, Dr. Wyatt smiled and began to speak.

"Agent Prentiss, you absolutely did the right thing in bringing Lilly here. She is a very bright young lady, no doubt, but she does seem to have some serious underlying issues that need to be dealt with. Of course, I can't discuss specifics, but I am able to make additional recommendations as to how best to help Lilly."

"Of course, doctor," Emily replied, anxious. "Anything that can help Lilly."

"She needs to have a support system built around her. She won't ask for one, but it is the thing that will help heal her most. She's been neglected in one way or another for most of her life, and she now needs to know that she is loved and cared for."

"Yes, of course," Emily nodded again.

"Surrounding her with people who care about her, and show that they care, will go long ways in helping her deal with her past and be happy in the future. There are many things in her past that will make her hesitant to believe and trust in these signs of support, but their continued availability to her will help overcome that distrust." Emily digested the doctor's words slowly, wanting to make sure she understood exactly what the doctor's slightly pedantic speech was saying.

"I understand," Emily said after a pause. "I promise you, I will be doing everything in my power to create a good solid, if slightly unconventional family for Lilly."

"Good." The doctor smiled. "Now, as I understand, you two have a date waiting, so I won't keep you any longer." She led Emily out of her office to where Lilly was waiting.

"Ready?" Emily asked, and the teen nodded suspiciously, and Emily could practically see the wheel's turning in the girl's head as she tried to figure out what exactly the doctor had told her new foster mother.

"Excited for ice cream?" Emily asked as they exited out onto the street.

"What did she say to you?" Lilly asked bluntly, but Emily wasn't surprised in the least.

"Nothing that you told her, I promise," Emily said. "She only suggested ways in which I could help you – help make sure you're happy."

"That's all?" Lilly's voice was disbelieving.

"Yes, Lilly. That's all. What goes on in there, what you say – that's your business. And if someday you want to share that with me, then I want to hear it from you, because you _want_ to tell me. Not from a doctor. Can you believe me on this one?" It was silent for a bit as they walked along the street toward the ice cream shop.

"I guess," Lilly said quietly, offering Emily a small smile. "And, yeah, I'm definitely ready for ice cream."

* * *

"He's totally smitten," Hotch observed as he and Emily strolled next to each other through the park. She followed his line of vision to Lilly and Jack, watching the ducks swim in the pond. Jack was looking up at the young girl with total admiration as she pointed out the mama duck and baby ducklings to him.

"I think she is too," Emily supplied. "I haven't ever seen her so – just, well, _happy_."

"It's definitely easier to only remember the good when you're hanging out with a five year old," Hotch said, and Emily knew he was speaking from experience.

"Especially such a cute five year old," Emily said, and then, before she could really help it. "He definitely takes after his father." Once she had heard the words spoken aloud, she couldn't help the slow blush that rose over her features, but she was happy to note that her words seemed to have the same effect on the man next to her, who couldn't think of a single reply. Luckily, Jack ran up to the pair at just the right moment.

"Daddy! Em!! Did you see all the ducks?! Lilly even found some baby ones and they were reeeally little. Can you even believe that?" Jack chattered away happily, grabbing Hotch's hand and dragging him toward the pond and Lilly.

"Lilly where did the baby duckies go?" Jack asked, and Lilly smiled and crouched down to his level. "Look, Jack. They're right there, on the shore."

"Are they havin' a picnic?" Jack asked, and the other three laughed.

"Maybe," Emily answered. "I'm not sure what duck picnics look like though."

"Well I think that's what they're doing," Jack replied with the air of finality only a five year old could muster. Then he whispered something in his father's ear. Hotch smiled at Emily and Lilly.

"Ladies, if you'll excuse us for a second, we are going to visit that very lovely looking public restroom over there," he said, scooping Jack up into his arms, causing the little boy to giggle.

"We'll meet you on this bench," Emily said, pointing, and Hotch nodded.

"Jack's adorable," Lilly commented. "I love little kids."

"Yeah, he's pretty great. And he seems to love you," Emily complimented the girl, who blushed.

"Thanks." A comfortable silence stretched over them until Lilly spoke again. "So like, what's the deal with you and Hotch?"

"What do you mean?" Emily asked quickly, and Lilly smirked.  
"Well there is clearly some major unresolved sexual tension going on there," the young girl observed shrewdly as Emily looked at her in disbelief. "You would have to be blind to miss it."

"What? No, no – what? What makes you say that?" Emily sputtered.

"Okay well if I didn't believe it before I sure as hell do now," Lilly laughed. "You're _so_ blushing."

"We're just good friends, that's all," Emily said, aware of how hot her face was.

"Suuuure," Lilly said. "I mean, it's obvious you guys like each other. Aren't you supposed to be adults? You're acting like you're fifteen – and I _am_ fifteen, so I can say that."

"I am not," Emily stated, then paused. "Yeah, I am. I'm fifteen again. That's what Aaron Hotchner does to me. It's embarrassing," she muttered, causing Lilly to laugh.

"I mean it would be embarrassing if he didn't act the same way," Lilly countered. "But he's totally into you. You should do something about it." She looked expectantly behind Emily's head as the Hotchner duo approached again. Emily took a deep breath, and turned around with a cheery smile on her face.

"Em!" Jack cried. "Daddy said we can all have dinner together! And that we can get spaghetti!"

"Only if you guys want to," Hotch added quickly, not wanting to infringe any more on their day.

"Well, I _love_ spaghetti," Lilly said, giving Emily a quick look with one eyebrow raised. "So we'd love to have dinner together, right Emily?" Emily could detect the merriment in the girl's voice, and resigned herself to a long night of gentle prodding from the teen.

"Dinner sounds great."


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Here's chapter 11 -- we're getting into some good Hotch/Prentiss action! It's hard to strike the balance between their relationship and Emily & Lilly, so please let me know if you want more or less of one or the other! As always, your reviews are much appreciated and helpful, so please take the time to let me know what you think.

I own nothing.

* * *

"But daddy, I wanna hang out with Lilly and Em!" Jack pulled on his father's pant leg and pouted as they waited outside the Italian restaurant for Emily, who had needed to use the restroom. Dinner had been delicious, and all four people had enjoyed themselves immensely. Hotch and Emily had sat next to each other, opposite their respective charges, and neither one could help but notice with a shiver of excitement when their shoulders would brush. During a particularly interesting conversation between Lilly and Jack regarding the Power Rangers, Hotch's hand had brushed gently against Emily's thigh and it took all of her well-contained will power to keep her breathing regular. A few times, Lilly had caught Emily's eye with a knowing look that Emily thought bared a striking resemblance to expressions she had see on JJ and Garcia's faces.

"I know, bud, but it's time for us to head home and get to bed. But we can see Lilly and Emily again soon, okay?" Hotch looked down at his little boy, and couldn't help but chuckle at his furrowed brow and pouty lip.

"But I wanna stay!" Jack whined, stomping his little foot. Hotch sighed – he didn't particularly want to leave the present company either, but it was getting late and Jack was like his mother in that he didn't do well without a good night's sleep, no matter how hard he tried to resist it.

"Hey, Jack," Lilly leaned down to the boy's level and spoke quietly. "I had a lot of fun with you today. But you have to make sure you go home soon and go to bed because I think that you and I should hang out tomorrow, and I want you to be all nice and rested so we can have lots of fun. We can built forts and watch movies. What do you think?" Jack's face broke out in a wide smile.

"We're gonna hang out tomorrow, too?" His voice was full of glee, and he looked to his father for confirmation.

"Hang on there, buddy. Let me talk to Lilly for a second," Hotch said, and Lilly stood back up.

"Lilly, you really don't have to make any promises like that. He'll grumble a little but as soon as he sees his bath toys he'll forgive me," Hotch explained, and Lilly smiled with a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, well, I was just assuming that you would be busy tomorrow evening and would need a babysitter," Lilly said innocently, causing Hotch to look at her with a confused expression

"Why would you think that?" He asked, and Lilly had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"I just assumed that you would be asking Emily out. Like for a date. A date that does not involve your son and her foster daughter. A romantic, this is a real date and we both know it kind of date."

"What?" Of course, that's exactly what Hotch wanted to do, and what he had been thinking about all evening, but how could Lilly know that? Freaking him out even more, she seemingly read that thought right out of his mind.

"Hotch, I'm a fifteen year old girl. We're hardwired to notice this kid of stuff. Plus I've seen Pride and Prejudice like a billion times, so I'm no stranger to longing gazes. So, you'll ask her? Because I was totally serious, I'd love to hang out with Jack tomorrow. And I'm like ten hundred percent certain that Emily would love to hang out with you tomorrow."

"Ten hundred percent, huh?" Hotch muttered with a hint of humor, giving up all pretense of pretending he didn't know what the young girl was suggesting.

"Yep. So if you were worried that she was going to say no, you don't have anything to worry about. So there's really nothing holding you back, now is there?" she laid out simply.

"Have you been talking to JJ?" Hotch grumbled good-naturedly, causing Lilly to laugh. "Well, uh, thank you Lilly. For your offer, and your, um, support in the matter at hand."

"Anytime, man. Oh, and by the way, I charge eight dollars an hour," she said cheekily, and as Hotch noticed how much Lilly reminded him of Emily, it was his turn to laugh.

"What's so funny, daddy?" Jack asked, tugging on his father's pant leg once more.

"Yeah, what's so funny, Hotch?" Emily echoed, stepping out of the restaurant's doorway, wrapping a light jacket around herself.

"Lilly's just being silly," he responded to both. "Shall we walk you ladies to your car?" He asked, flashing a charming smile at Emily, making her feel as if she were in high school again.

"That would be very gentlemanly of you," Emily said teasingly. "It's just right down this way."

"Jack, grab a hand," Hotch commanded gently, holding out his hand for the young boy to take, but Jack ran to Emily's side instead.

"I wanna hold Em's hand daddy," Jack said, reaching for Emily's. The brunette took the little hand in hers, smiling contentedly, and pleased that the little boy had chosen her. The four walked down the street in comfortable silence until Lilly decided Hotch needed a little gentle goading, and cleared her throat with a startling force. Hotch took the hint, and glanced over to where his son was skipping merrily along, practically dragging Emily with his energy.

"Hey Jack, will you come walk with me? I'm lonely back here," Lilly called to the boy, pretending to pout. Jack giggled and ran back to his new friend.

"Here I am!" He proclaimed, and Lilly smiled in self-satisfaction as she watched Hotch veer slightly towards Emily on the sidewalk. Jack was chattering away, making grandiose plans for the next day, but Lilly picked up their pace a bit, hoping she would be able to hear some of the conversation that was about to take place.

"So, any plans for tomorrow?" Hotch asked casually, and Emily shook her head.

"Nope, I don't think so. I need to go grocery shopping, again, I don't know where she puts it all away, but what about the Hotchner men?"

"Nothing for us either – we'll probably take a bike ride in the morning, Jack's been all about wanting his training wheels off so we've been practicing. He's getting close."

"Sounds like fun," Emily noted, and Hotch took a deep breath.

"So since you're not too busy tomorrow, would you be interested at all in having dinner?"

"Oh, sure," Emily said, a bit surprised but hardly displeased. "We certainly had fun at dinner tonight, so we're in." Hotch groaned inwardly – she didn't get it. He tried again.

"Actually, Emily, I was thinking that maybe tomorrow it could just be you and me at dinner. A dinner date," he finished somewhat lamely, hoping he got the point across without sounding desperate.

"Oh!" By now, Emily was certainly surprised. "Like a dinner date," she mused aloud, trying to regulate her heartbeat which had sped up with the arrival of Hotch's hand on her lower back and only got faster as she understood his intention for the next day.

"Is that a yes?" Hotch ventured and Emily snapped out of her thoughts and emphatically nodded her head.

"That sounds great, Hotch," her voice was genuine. "But, what about Jack? I know Jessica's away this weekend."

"Yes, well, Lilly has already volunteered for the position," Hotch said, and a lightbulb went off in Emily's head.

"Ah," she said knowingly. "Of course she did."

"Yes, well, she's very observant," Hotch gave Emily a look, causing the woman to blush.

"That she is," Emily had to admit, and at that moment the young girl in question caught up with the pair at the car.

"Glad we've got everything all settled," Lilly raised her eyebrows at the profilers with a smile. They said their goodbyes, and Emily and Lilly hopped into the car.

"So, what's on the agenda for tomorrow, Emily?" Lilly asked innocently, causing Emily to let out a snort.

"Like you don't already know, Miss Meddler," Emily retorted, and Lilly laughed.

"Okay well sorry but someone needed to do something! You two are like the blind dating the blind," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Hey!"

"Sorry. But you're welcome, by the way," Lilly smirked.

"Yes, yes, thank you," Emily said with a begrudging smile.

"So what are you going to wear?" Lilly's voice was enthusiastic.

"Oh god," Emily moaned. "I've created a monster."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: A date! A kiss! Let me know if you like it -- reviews are wonderful! As always, nothing belongs to me.

* * *

"Wow, could you be any more nervous?" Lilly glanced over at Emily as they walked up the path to Hotch's apartment.

"Probably not," Emily admitted, taking a big swallow. "I mean, I shouldn't be, it's just Hotch. We've spent a lot of time together, we know each other," she rationalized.

"Yeah but you've never spent time together and known that you both were thinking of each other naked," Lilly replied cheekily, and Emily glared at her.

"Thanks for that," she said sardonically as they approached the door. "Now, shush!" She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Almost instantly, it was opened and a small boy hurled himself out into the arms of the woman standing there.

"Hey, Jack!" Emily said, swinging him up into her arms.

"Hiya Em!" Jack squealed, and then turned his attention to the girl beside her. "Lilly!" he wiggled his way out of Emily's arms and into Lilly's.

"Sorry for such an enthusiastic welcome," Hotch said as he approached the doorway. "Come on in." He was dressed casually in khaki's and a blue button down, and Emily was finding it difficult to compose thoughts. Damn the man looks good! was pretty much the only thing running through her mind until Hotch's voice broke through.

"Lilly, you guys can order a pizza for dinner. Here's the menu and some cash. Jack should take a bath tonight since he has school tomorrow, and he should go to bed around eight. Sound good? Jack pretty much knows where everything is, so if you have any questions just ask him."

"Yeah, just ask me!" Jack exclaimed proudly.

"Sounds good," Lilly said. "Are you guys going to be back late?" She asked, trying to appear nonchalant, but succeeded in putting a slight blush on both adults' cheeks.

"I'll keep you updated," Hotch said diplomatically. Then he turned his attention to the woman he could barely keep his mind off of. "So, uh, are you ready to go?" He asked, flashing her a slightly nervous smile, which she returned in kind.

"Of course," she said, and once again felt tingles up and down her spine as Hotch guided her out of the apartment with his hand on her lower back.

"By the way, you look beautiful tonight," Hotch said softly, granting him a radiant smile from Emily. She did look gorgeous – having traded in her usual business suit, she was sporting a simple red summer dress, and her hair was down and slightly wavy.

"Thanks, Hotch," she said, causing him to chuckle. "What?"

"It's just funny that we're out on a date and you're still calling me Hotch," he noted. "You know, you can call me Aaron," he teased.

"I know," Emily confessed. "But that just doesn't seem to fit. You're just – well, you're just _Hotch_."

"I'm not quite sure what that means, but I'll take it," he responded jovially, and the two fell into easy conversation as they drove to the intimate Thai restaurant Hotch had picked out, knowing Emily's love for Asian food.

* * *

"Lilly?" Jack's head poked up from the mound of pillows they had used to build a fort in front of the tv.

"Yeah, buddy?" she asked, laying a blanket across the top of the fort as a finishing touch.

"How come you don't have a mommy?" he asked the big question in the purely curious way all children have, no intentions or motives, just trying to gain understanding.

"What do you mean, Jack?" Lilly asked, needing a little time to come up with an answer suitable for a five year old.

"Well, daddy says that you live with Emily because your mommy couldn't take care of you. Why couldn't she take care of you?" Lilly took a deep breath. Great, she thought. My first babysitting assignment with the kid and he's brining out the heavy artillery.

"Well," she began carefully. "My mommy can't take care of me because she is in Heaven," she said, feeling her heart constrict tightly inside her chest. "She had to go up with the angels, so she couldn't take care of me." Jack looked at the girl for a long second.

"My mommy's in Heaven, too," he informed her with a hint of sadness, and Emily crawled into the fort and took Jack into her lap.

"I know, Jack. I'm really sorry," she said, and Jack looked up at her with big eyes.

"Is Heaven scary?" he asked woefully, and Emily felt her own tears start to well.

"No, Jack. Heaven is beautiful," she answered. "I bet our mommies are up there right now eating pizza and watching us build this awesome fort," she said.

"Yeah!" Jack said, his face brightening up considerably, but then a thought crossed his mind and he furrowed his brow.

"How come you get a new mommy and I don't?" he asked, his little eyes round and tearful.

"What do you mean, buddy?" Lilly asked softly.

"Emmy's your new mommy, right? But I don't have a new mommy," he said sadly, and Lilly felt her heart breaking.

"Oh, Jack, you are the luckiest little boy because you still have your mommy, and you have three new mommies too – you have Emily, and JJ, and Penelope," Lilly answered. "Plus, your mommy up in Heaven is still watching over you, and she loves you very much. You can even talk to her if you want, buddy. She's never going to leave you," The words were pouring out of Lilly before she could even process what she was saying, and she felt a sort of cathartic calm wash over her.

"You promise?" Jack asked, drying his eyes.

"I absolutely promise," Lilly said, holding him in her lap and kissing his head.

"Lilly?"

"Yeah buddy?"

"Can you be my new sister?" Lilly grinned, relieved.

"I would be honored, Mister Hotchner," she replied, tickling his little sides, causing him to squeal. "Now, how about we order some pizza?"

* * *

"You have a little bit – right there," Hotch gestured to the side of Emily's mouth. Dinner had been wonderful – the food was perfect, and Emily was delighted that Hotch had remembered her penchant for the cuisine. Although, what else could she expect from a profiler? The conversation had flowed easily, and when his hand had covered hers after their plates had been cleared, it had seemed natural. The contact was electrifying, to say the least, but was comfortable and warm, and neither had wanted to break it and leave.

Eventually, however, the check had come and the duo had departed, but when Emily suggested stopping for ice cream Hotch agreed readily, wanting to prolong their time together as much as possible. He shot a quick text to Lilly, and now the two were sitting on a bench outside, enjoying ice cream cones.

"Here?" Emily stuck out her tongue in an attempt to get the bit of chocolate ice cream, but missed, and Hotch thought he was going to explode from the unintentional sexiness of the act.

"Here," he said, reaching out a soft finger to the corner of her mouth. His touch was gentle, and Emily's heart was racing in her chest. She was certain Hotch would be able to hear it – he was convinced of the same. She raised her eyes up to meet his, and was excited and delighted to see how dark and smoldering his had become. He gently removed his finger from her skin, and at the break of contact Emily let out the smallest sound of disappointment. Their eyes were still connected, and both sets burned with passion. Slowly, Hotch leaned forward, and Emily licked her lips subconsciously in anticipation.

Their lips met slowly, and softly. And then, it was as if a dam had burst. Passion erupted from both parties, and what had been a chaste kiss on the lips had turned into much more. Her hands were roaming along his well structured chest, and his hands were entangled in her raven hair. It was a while before Emily pulled away, breathless.

"That –" she began, almost panting. "Wow."

"I'm sorry," Hotch apologized, though he wasn't, and Emily snapped her eyes back up to him.

"Don't be," she told him directly, and he could still see the passion smoldering in her eyes. "I'm sorry that I had to stop to breathe." As always, Emily infused humor into the situation, putting Hotch immediately at ease.

"I've been wanting to do that for awhile," he admitted, stroking her hand with his thumb.

"Me too," she said softly. "But, Hotch – it's getting late, and Lilly has school tomorrow. As much as I want to stay right here and keep doing….that….I think we should head home," her voice was tinged with remorse, and as they stood Hotch grabbed her hand in reassurance.

"We'll have plenty more opportunities for that, Emily. I'll make sure of it."

* * *

Having placed Jack in bed and read him his favorite story two hours before, Lilly was growing bored as she sat on Hotch's couch watching television. He had sent her a text saying they were heading for ice cream and would then be home, but that had been an hour ago. Sighing, Lilly flipped through the channels once more, this time landing on an old episode of _Friends_. Suddenly, she heard a loud thump from outside the apartment. Startled, Lilly stood up as another thump sounded on the far wall by the doorway.

"Hello?" Lilly said suspiciously, her heart beginning to race. When she received no answer but another thump, she stepped towards the door.

"Who the hell is out there?" she called. She grabbed an umbrella from the bin by the door and anxiously peered out the peephole.

"Oh my GOD," she exclaimed, swinging the door open in relief. Hotch and Emily's heads snapped towards her guiltily as they attempted to disentangle their limbs. Her lipstick was smeared around his lips, and both were breathing quite hard.

"You just gave me a goddamn heart attack! I thought I heard a burglar but really it was just you two going at it in the hallway!"

"We were not going at it," Emily answered weakly. "That would be inappropriate, with you and Jack right inside…" her voice trailed off as she noticed Lilly's pointed glance at her side. Her hands reached over to where Lilly was staring. Shit! The teen smiled like the Cheshire cat before speaking.

"Um, you might want to zip up your dress, Em."


End file.
